Although Jon and Lindsay had passed several trials and were finally making progress, Jon never let his guard down. His Stand, [Stone Free], had thin listening threads spread through the trees like a spider's web, constantly alert for disturbances.
Twice already, ambushes had come their way—five attackers in total. Fortunately for Jon, none of them knew Nen, and ordinary people couldn't see Stands. A convenient rule. He'd dispatched them with ease.
"Get ready," Jon said, waving a hand to halt Lindsay.
Lindsay caught the signal and quickly released the safety on his pistol, eyes narrowing.
Jon's expression turned grim. "There are five… no, six—wait, seven people ahead. We've got trouble."
If they were all armed and coordinated, even Jon would have to tread carefully. A team of shooters could lay down enough suppressive fire to leave no escape. While [Stone Free] granted Jon power, his body was still vulnerable to bullets. Against swords, he had confidence. Against a storm of lead? Not so much.
"You stay here. Don't move," Jon said, lowering his stance. "I'll scout it out."
He slipped into the underbrush, moving with practiced stealth. The forest floor was soaked in blood. The surrounding trees were riddled with bullet holes—signs of a brutal gunfight.
Ahead, six burly men stood in a tight circle, each gripping a different kind of machine gun. They weren't guarding each other—they were guarding something else.
Jon followed their gaze, inching forward—and froze.
Shalnark.
His soft blond hair, boyish face, and calm demeanor were unmistakable. A member of the Phantom Troupe… and a deadly manipulator.
Jon's eyes narrowed. The men weren't allies—they were puppets. Shalnark was using [Black Voice] to control them like human shields.
"There's someone there. Kill him," Shalnark said coldly, pointing in Jon's direction.
Jon's blood ran cold.
Shalnark was a Nen user. No matter how stealthy Jon was, without Zetsu, he couldn't hide from someone using Gyo.
Six guns snapped toward Jon in unison.
He reacted instantly—his body unraveled into string. With [Stone Free], Jon latched onto a tree branch and launched himself into the air, zigzagging away like a shot arrow.
He didn't run toward Lindsay. Bringing him into this would mean certain death.
No way I'm dragging that honest guy into this mess, Jon thought. Besides… I've got powers. They don't.
The puppets couldn't keep up.
Jon swung through the jungle canopy, bouncing unpredictably between trees using the recoil of his elastic string. Leaves scattered in his wake. Bullets tore through the branches behind him, always just a second too late.
Back at the battlefield, Shalnark watched with interest.
"Hm… a natural-born Nen user," he muttered, eyes glinting. "I've decided. You'll be my next puppet."
Though Shalnark wasn't known for speed, no Phantom Troupe member was weak. The strong were simply outshone by the strongest.
In a blur, he vanished.
To a normal observer, it looked like the wind had shifted—but Jon, through [Stone Free]'s ultra-sensitive threads, could trace Shalnark's movement.
He saw him.
But his body couldn't react fast enough.
Before he could twist away, Shalnark was already there—antenna in hand.
With precision and speed born of countless kills, the antenna stabbed into Jon's side.
Click.
"Checkmate," Shalnark said with a smile.
The antenna had already pierced into Jon's kidney before he could react.
The speed. The precision. The sheer gall.
Jon froze, shocked by the sudden assassination attempt.
Shalnark wasn't even one of the Phantom Troupe's top fighters, but that didn't make him any less dangerous. Manipulator-type Nen users were rarely powerhouses in direct combat—but their abilities were the most troublesome. They didn't enhance physical strength or raw offense. Instead, they specialized in control.
And once a Manipulator's ability landed, it was nearly impossible to undo.
Even a monster like the Chimera Ant King, Meruem—whose body tanked the Poor Man's Rose—might theoretically fall to Shalnark if he were stabbed with that antenna.
Of course, that was theoretical. In reality, Shalnark wouldn't be able to pierce Meruem's skin, let alone land the hit.
Still, Shalnark's automatic mode was no joke—it had the firepower to crush Division Leader-class foes in minutes. If Jon's [Stone Free] had matured fully, maybe he'd stand a chance. But right now? He was outmatched.
After embedding the antenna, Shalnark gracefully leapt back, conjuring a phone in his hand.
"Target all examinees except me," he instructed calmly, inputting the command.
With Gyo-enhanced vision, Shalnark had noticed Jon's vibrant life energy—a result of his Ripple training. He could even see [Stone Free].
So this kid has a Nen beast too? Shalnark mused. Looks strong. He'll make a fine puppet.
A thick surge of Nen flowed from the phone.
Jon braced himself.
But nothing happened.
He didn't move. Not a twitch.
"Huh?" Shalnark blinked, caught off guard. "That's… impossible."
Jon was confused too. Wait, why the kidney? That felt targeted. Did I steal your lunch or something? I'm still a kid, man.
Wait… am I about to be someone's puppet? No way. I'm not going out like this.Then a beat passed....Why hasn't he started controlling me?
Realizing something was wrong, Shalnark's expression shifted. In one fluid motion, he flicked three more antennas toward Jon.
This time, Jon was ready. He didn't dodge—he raised his arm and unraveled it into strings, [Stone Free] weaving a dense mesh that blocked all three projectiles.
And just like that, Jon understood.
When danger struck, his body reflexively turned into string to reduce the damage. The first antenna had only embedded into the middle of a bundle of string, not into his actual flesh. The control circuit never completed.
A perfect counter.
Shalnark's entire ability set was rendered useless.
[Stone Free] was his natural enemy.
Shalnark frowned slightly. He could activate automatic mode to kill Jon instantly—but he wasn't reckless. Automatic mode would leave him unconscious afterward. In the middle of the Hunter Exam, being defenseless meant certain death.
He kept his voice light. "Ehh~ I didn't expect you to be so tough, little bro. What do you say—wanna team up?"
The casual smile returned to his face, as if he hadn't just tried to kill Jon seconds earlier.
As the Phantom Troupe's strategist, Shalnark was one of the few in the group who could actually think. Surrounded by bloodthirsty brawlers, he stood out by using his head. Right now, he had no clue how Jon's ability worked—and he wasn't about to press his luck.
As for dignity? Shalnark, born in Meteor City, once said, "Can face be eaten?"
"As a sign of goodwill, here." He plucked the Cistus flower pinned behind his jacket and tossed it to Jon. "You're free to pass."
Jon caught the flower, inspecting it carefully. No hidden strings, no traps. It was real.
Still, he was wary. No way someone who just tried to turn me into a meat puppet is this generous…
"I, Joseph Joestar, like to say 'No' to guys who think they're clever," Jon said sharply, keeping his eyes locked on Shalnark in case of another sneak attack.
"I already have enough flowers to pass," Shalnark replied, still calm. "But this exam's dragging too long. If most of the examinees are eliminated in the first round, we'll speed up the process."
Jon activated Atum.
He tested Shalnark's words for lies.
They were true.
The offer was solid. If Jon and Shalnark teamed up, the rest of the examinees wouldn't stand a chance. They could sweep the field and clear the exam early.
Besides, with Shalnark and his goons camped out by the checkpoint, Jon had only two real options—fight his way through, or cut a deal.
A brief silence.
Then Jon extended his hand.
"Happy to cooperate."
After all, no matter how he looked at it—he wasn't the one losing here.